Value for money concerns, as audit firm’s fees to review council accounts costs local taxpayers £295k

Local Taxpayers are said to be footing the cost of over £295k for a yearly audit of Hartlepool Borough Council accounts, a huge increase from the year before....

4th August 2025

Fees for a private audit company to scrutinise the accounts of Hartlepool Borough Council have skyrocketed this year, reportedly costing local tax payers over, £295k according to information seen by the Teesside & Durham Post.

The revelation, based on documents seen by The Teesside & Durham Post, shows that the fees for scrutinising Hartlepool Borough Council’s finances has now more than doubled in the space of a year. The audit, carried out by Forvis Mazars LLP, is a private accountancy firm contracted to ensure the legality and accuracy of local authority spending.

The fees were disclosed in a council report published recently...

Under UK law, all local authorities must undergo yearly audits to ensure financial transparency, good governance, and legal compliance. However, the scale of Hartlepool's audit costs is likely to spark questions about the value for money being delivered, especially given that Hartlepool is one of the smallest unitary authorities in the country.

Audit costs for councils across the UK have seen significant hikes in recent years, with many firms claiming increased regulatory requirements, higher scrutiny, and added workload from years of delayed accounts due to Covid-era backlogs. However, critics argue that private audit firms are now exploiting the lack of competition in the sector, allowing prices to soar unchecked — a problem that hits smaller, supposedly 'cash-strapped' councils the hardest....

The increase from £125,562 in 2023/24 to £295,332 in 2024/25 represents a 135% rise, raising red flags in a town already grappling with rising council tax bills, service cuts, and questions over the financial management of major council-led projects.

Forvis Mazars LLP has not commented on the matter as we've gone to publication, however local residents and some councillors are likely to demand answers from the local council in the coming weeks over whether those Audit Costs reflect value for money for local tax payers, especially at a time when essential services are being squeezed, where the eye-watering audit bill will no doubt intensify scrutiny on both the council’s spending practices and the broader system of local government finance.